Family of murdered UP journalist say minister 'sent men to threaten them'

The case of the murdered online journalist, Jagendra Singh, took a turn for the worse on Sunday when the victim's family members claimed that UP minister Ram Murti Singh Verma’s goons have been pressuring them to withdraw their movement in Shahjahanpur.

Sources said Ram Pratap Singh, who identified himself as the personal secretary of Verma, reportedly met the journalist's relatives on Saturday evening and warned them to withdraw the movement or face dire consequences.

Jagendra Singh was allegedly set ablaze by five policemen in his residence at Shahjahanpur on June 1. Minister of State for Backward Classes Welfare Ram Murti Singh Verma and four others have been named in the FIR for their alleged complicity.

Relatives of journalist Jagendra Singh have been on indefinite dharna since June 14 at Shahjahanpur

The five police officials named in the case have reportedly been suspended, but the minister remains in the cabinet for now.

Sumer Singh, father of the deceased, said: “They were carrying an agreement paper in which it was written that we were withdrawing our campaign and also the cases against the minister. They told us that Verma has been asked by his seniors in the Samajwadi Party (SP) to do something to stop the movement.”

Sumer said the people who were present at the sit-in, got angry and started shouting at the minister's associates.

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“Later, they fled from the spot after giving us a warning that all of us would be killed the way my son was burnt to death,” Sumer said.

“The personal secretary (Ram Pratap) of the minister also tried to play caste card and said that he was a Kshatriya like us and wanted to help us. But he suddenly started misbehaving with us when we asked him to stop playing a stooge of the minister,” the slain journalist’s father said.

Jagendra Singh's wife and other family members have been on indefinite dharna to press for their demands since June 14, at Shahjahanpur.

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Family of murdered UP journalist say minister 'sent men to threaten them'